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Solar panel cost in City of Edinburgh (EH29)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for EH29 (City of Edinburgh) in under a minute using official UK data. Start with the calculator, then get a no-obligation quote from an MCS-certified installer. You can also ask the SolarByPostcode assistant to sanity-check your roof, bills and plans.

Solar Calculator

Change the settings below to see how costs and savings work for your situation.

System Size

Roof Direction

Battery Storage

Export Value

Your Numbers

Break-even
13.8 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£886
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£9,955
After paying itself off, you're this much ahead

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How we calculate this

Solar generation: Based on typical south-facing roof at 35° angle. We account for weather, dirt, and system losses (14%).

How much you'll use directly:

  • Without battery: You'll use about 40% of what you generate. The rest gets sold back to the grid.
  • With 5 kWh battery: You'll use about 70% (battery stores extra for evening use).
  • With 10 kWh battery: You'll use about 75% (more storage means less exported).
  • Panel-only payback: Bigger systems don’t shorten payback—cost and savings rise together per kW.
  • Battery & payback: Batteries raise self-use and cut bills, but added hardware cost often lengthens break-even at typical UK rates.
  • When a battery can still make sense:
    • Evening-heavy usage patterns
    • Time-of-use tariffs / cheap night rates
    • Low export rate vs. high unit rate
    • Heat pump or EV charging synergy
    • Optional backup/resilience (system-dependent)
    • Lower evening-hour CO₂ vs. grid

Costs: Battery prices are typically £700 per kWh. Export tariffs vary by supplier (usually 5–15p per kWh).

Grid connection: Systems up to about 3.7 kW typically need just a notification (G98). Larger systems may need permission (G99).

These are typical values based on average usage patterns. Your actual results will vary based on your roof, shading, and how you use electricity.

Your area in context

In Southern Scotland, the current unit rate is 27.18p/kWh with a 57.62p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 876 kWh/kW — 26 above the regional median (850).

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 6.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 876 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 27.2p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
27.2p/kWh
Standing charge
57.6p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
876 kWh/kW
Export price (baseline)
10p/kWh

Browse the scenarios below. Each battery size has its own expand — open the one that matches your plan (or just explore). For each system size (2–8 kW) we show annual output, how much you use directly, what gets exported, annual benefit, upfront cost, break-even, and a 20-year net. Negative numbers are possible — that’s the honest trade-off when adding more battery than your usage profile justifies.

No battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £739, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 13.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1751 kWh 701 kWh 1051 kWh £190 £105 £295 £4,069 13.8 yrs £1,841
3 kW 2627 kWh 1051 kWh 1576 kWh £286 £158 £443 £6,104 13.8 yrs £2,761
4 kW 3503 kWh 1401 kWh 2102 kWh £381 £210 £591 £8,138 13.8 yrs £3,682
5 kW 4378 kWh 1751 kWh 2627 kWh £476 £263 £739 £10,173 13.8 yrs £4,602
6 kW 5254 kWh 2102 kWh 3152 kWh £571 £315 £886 £12,207 13.8 yrs £5,523
7 kW 6130 kWh 2452 kWh 3678 kWh £666 £368 £1,034 £14,242 13.8 yrs £6,443
8 kW 7006 kWh 2802 kWh 4203 kWh £762 £420 £1,182 £16,276 13.8 yrs £7,363

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, battery £/kWh = 700.

3 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £889, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 13.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1751 kWh 1051 kWh 701 kWh £286 £70 £356 £6,169 17.3 yrs £944
3 kW 2627 kWh 1576 kWh 1051 kWh £428 £105 £534 £8,204 15.4 yrs £2,467
4 kW 3503 kWh 2102 kWh 1401 kWh £571 £140 £711 £10,238 14.4 yrs £3,989
5 kW 4378 kWh 2627 kWh 1751 kWh £714 £175 £889 £12,273 13.8 yrs £5,511
6 kW 5254 kWh 3152 kWh 2102 kWh £857 £210 £1,067 £14,307 13.4 yrs £7,033
7 kW 6130 kWh 3678 kWh 2452 kWh £1,000 £245 £1,245 £16,342 13.1 yrs £8,555
8 kW 7006 kWh 4203 kWh 2802 kWh £1,142 £280 £1,423 £18,376 12.9 yrs £10,078

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, battery £/kWh = 700.

5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £964, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 14.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1751 kWh 1226 kWh 525 kWh £333 £53 £386 £7,569 19.6 yrs £146
3 kW 2627 kWh 1839 kWh 788 kWh £500 £79 £579 £9,604 16.6 yrs £1,969
4 kW 3503 kWh 2452 kWh 1051 kWh £666 £105 £772 £11,638 15.1 yrs £3,792
5 kW 4378 kWh 3065 kWh 1314 kWh £833 £131 £964 £13,673 14.2 yrs £5,615
6 kW 5254 kWh 3678 kWh 1576 kWh £1,000 £158 £1,157 £15,707 13.6 yrs £7,438
7 kW 6130 kWh 4291 kWh 1839 kWh £1,166 £184 £1,350 £17,742 13.1 yrs £9,262
8 kW 7006 kWh 4904 kWh 2102 kWh £1,333 £210 £1,543 £19,776 12.8 yrs £11,085

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, battery £/kWh = 700.

7.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £987, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 15.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1751 kWh 1279 kWh 473 kWh £347 £47 £395 £9,319 23.6 yrs £-1,423
3 kW 2627 kWh 1918 kWh 709 kWh £521 £71 £592 £11,354 19.2 yrs £490
4 kW 3503 kWh 2557 kWh 946 kWh £695 £95 £790 £13,388 17.0 yrs £2,403
5 kW 4378 kWh 3196 kWh 1182 kWh £869 £118 £987 £15,423 15.6 yrs £4,317
6 kW 5254 kWh 3836 kWh 1419 kWh £1,042 £142 £1,184 £17,457 14.7 yrs £6,230
7 kW 6130 kWh 4475 kWh 1655 kWh £1,216 £166 £1,382 £19,492 14.1 yrs £8,143
8 kW 7006 kWh 5114 kWh 1891 kWh £1,390 £189 £1,579 £21,526 13.6 yrs £10,057

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, battery £/kWh = 700.

10 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,002, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 17.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1751 kWh 1314 kWh 438 kWh £357 £44 £401 £11,069 27.6 yrs £-3,053
3 kW 2627 kWh 1970 kWh 657 kWh £536 £66 £601 £13,104 21.8 yrs £-1,079
4 kW 3503 kWh 2627 kWh 876 kWh £714 £88 £802 £15,138 18.9 yrs £894
5 kW 4378 kWh 3284 kWh 1095 kWh £893 £109 £1,002 £17,173 17.1 yrs £2,868
6 kW 5254 kWh 3941 kWh 1314 kWh £1,071 £131 £1,202 £19,207 16.0 yrs £4,841
7 kW 6130 kWh 4597 kWh 1532 kWh £1,250 £153 £1,403 £21,242 15.1 yrs £6,815
8 kW 7006 kWh 5254 kWh 1751 kWh £1,428 £175 £1,603 £23,276 14.5 yrs £8,788

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, battery £/kWh = 700.

13.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,017, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 19.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1751 kWh 1349 kWh 403 kWh £367 £40 £407 £13,519 33.2 yrs £-5,383
3 kW 2627 kWh 2023 kWh 604 kWh £550 £60 £610 £15,554 25.5 yrs £-3,349
4 kW 3503 kWh 2697 kWh 806 kWh £733 £81 £814 £17,588 21.6 yrs £-1,315
5 kW 4378 kWh 3371 kWh 1007 kWh £916 £101 £1,017 £19,623 19.3 yrs £719
6 kW 5254 kWh 4046 kWh 1208 kWh £1,100 £121 £1,220 £21,657 17.7 yrs £2,752
7 kW 6130 kWh 4720 kWh 1410 kWh £1,283 £141 £1,424 £23,692 16.6 yrs £4,786
8 kW 7006 kWh 5394 kWh 1611 kWh £1,466 £161 £1,627 £25,726 15.8 yrs £6,820

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, battery £/kWh = 700.

Figures are illustrative and use the same method as the calculator above. For exact results, adjust your roof direction, tariff, and usage in the calculator.

Insights for EH29

Figures below are tailored to EH29 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2608 of 2997
13.8 years (UK avg 12.6 years)
~£886 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1602 of 2997
23.7% (UK avg 24.6%) drag on savings
£210 fixed • ~£886 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −21.3% West −21.1%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
27.18p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
57.62p/day
Local Sunshine
876kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~876 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
6.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

Local Property Data

Property Types

No EPC data available for this outcode

Coverage

City of Edinburgh (99%)|West Lothian (1%)

Areas Covered

Almond, Inverleith, Broxburn, Uphall and Winchburgh, Drum Brae/Gyle

Data Sources & Assumptions

Solar yield: PVGIS (EU Joint Research Centre), January 2025 data

Electricity rates: Ofgem price cap, Q1 2026

Installation costs: MCS certified installer data, March 2025

Property data: EPC open data (Open Government Licence), aggregated

All estimates are typical values. Actual results vary based on your specific situation, roof characteristics, and usage patterns.

Compare nearby areas

Nearby in Southern Scotland

EH28 (City of Edinburgh)
≈2.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~877 kWh/kWp · +0% vs EH29
EH30 (City of Edinburgh)
≈3.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~881 kWh/kWp · +1% vs EH29
EH52 (West Lothian)
≈5.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~868 kWh/kWp · -1% vs EH29
EH91 (City of Edinburgh)
≈7.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~882 kWh/kWp · +1% vs EH29
EH27 (West Lothian)
≈7.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~852 kWh/kWp · -3% vs EH29
EH12 (City of Edinburgh)
≈7.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~883 kWh/kWp · +1% vs EH29

Similar sunshine across the UK

LD3 (Powys)
~876 kWh/kWp · +0% vs EH29
SK8 (Stockport)
~875 kWh/kWp · -0% vs EH29
EX35 (North Devon)
~876 kWh/kWp · +0% vs EH29